Administrative agreement

A treaty concluded only by the executive branch. This system developed in the United States. The United States Constitution stipulates that a "treaty" is concluded by the President with the advice and approval of two-thirds of the Senate (Congress), but there are cases where a treaty with a foreign country is concluded only by the President (Department of State) without the advice and approval of the Senate. Although the constitutional basis is not clear, it has been established by practice. Since it is concluded only by the President (Department of State), it is called an "executive agreement." There is no clear standard for distinguishing the subject matter of a treaty and an executive agreement. In theory, it is used for matters that are within the authority of the President (executive branch) or that come under the authority of the executive branch with the comprehensive prior approval of the legislative branch (Congress), such as matters of military and naval command, postal agreements, agreements on reciprocity in commerce, the abolition of discriminatory taxation, provisional agreements, agreements on claims for compensation by American citizens, or agreements on the implementation of treaty provisions.

In Japan, in the Sunagawa case ruling of the Tokyo District Court in 1959, the Japan-U.S. Administrative Agreement, which was concluded on the same day as the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty in 1951, did not undergo the Diet approval procedure required by Article 73, paragraph 3 of our Constitution, but was not found to be unconstitutional because it was an agreement concerning the implementation of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.

[Sakutaro Tsutsugi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

行政府限りで締結する条約。アメリカで発達した制度で、アメリカ合衆国憲法では、「条約」は、大統領が上院（議会）の3分の2の助言と承認に基づいて締結する旨を定めているが、外国との条約を、上院の助言と承認なしに大統領（国務省）限りで締結する場合がある。憲法上の根拠は明確にされないが、慣行上確立してきている。大統領（国務省）のみで締結することから「行政協定」とよんでいる。条約と行政協定の対象上の区別について明確な基準はない。理論上、大統領（行政府）の権限内にある事項や、あらかじめ立法府（議会）の包括的な承認のうえで行政府の権限に入る事項、たとえば、陸海軍統帥権事項、郵便協定、通商上の相互主義に関する協定、差別的課税の廃止、仮協定、アメリカ国民の賠償請求に関する協定、あるいは条約規定の実施に関する協定などに用いられている。

　わが国でも、1959年（昭和34）の砂川事件判決（東京地裁）のなかで、1951年に日米安全保障条約と同日締結された「日米行政協定」は、わが憲法第73条3項の定める国会の承認手続を経なかったが、日米安全保障条約の実施に関する協定であるとして、違憲であるとされなかった。

［經塚作太郎］

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